Work and Chronic Illnesses Support Group

This last Monday was a crazy day. My first time on the phones in a very busy clinic with little back up. Phone call after phone call problem after problem. A few emails from the boss that were a little negative. I went home just uptight and had a very hard time letting it go. When my boyfriend called me that night I started crying. He was a little surprised at how worked up I got.

How do you deal with stressful days? Have you found that since you've had to deal with an ongoing illness that the stressful days are harder to handle?

Annelle

Yeah I do have meltdowns...thankfully I've made it home first except for one time. I think of it as sometimes thats actually necessary. You need to vent and get it out of your system, then figure out a way to move forward such that you work with what is in your control, and try to put things out of your mind that are beyond your control. Most of the time my stressful days end up being about my illness (indirectly), whether I am having a bad pain day and then fall behind at work, or have to turn down working overtime when they could use me as I just can't do it.

Or non work related, when I put a lot of hope into a doctor visit and then they aren't helpful. One thing I do really try to do is leave work stuff at work...on my drive home I usually take an effort to make that transition. I only started full time work after I had been sick for a couple years so I can't relate too much, but I do know that school and part time work was easier for me before. It could always be worse, and I think everyone has some type of struggle in their life. Some people sure have it worse than others though. Best wishes.

Hi, yes, the pain definitely can increase normal stress into Big awful Stress! Meditation? Yoga?

I've been definately contemplating starting up Yoga again. It might have to wait until I move a little closer to where I work. Right now I spend 1 - 1 1/2 hrs in the car commuting to the different clinic locations I work at. That leaves me about 2.5 - 3 hours a night to relax before I have to go to bed and start all over again in the morning.

And I agree, if something else is weighing heavy on my mind I might be closer to a mealtdown!

Hope everyone has a great long weekend!

Annelle

Hello. Yes, meltdowns seem to be a part of life now. Things just overwhelm me and then I'm lost in this sea of emotion and nothing is clear. The worst is when it's my toddler that is adding to my meltdown, usually when she is having her own version of one, and that's the worst. I hate feeling like I take out my pain and my stress and my stuff on her. She says things like, "Mommy crying? Mommy sad?" you know, stuff like that. Somehow we just keep going. And I keep telling myself that she'll be the better for it. But you know, really, I don't know.